Best Gaming Keyboards in the UK

Review & Comparison, Last Update November 21, 2018

Are you looking for a decent gaming keyboard that would hand you victory? The one that would last for hundreds of gaming hours? Behold, seeker, your quest is now complete. Check out our shortlist and let your competitive spirit take the reins with your new gaming keyboard!...Read more...Read less

This Corsair gaming keyboard has a soft-touch wrist rest and features easy-access dedicated multimedia control keys. Each one of the keys can be set up for a macro. The keyboard provides 1ms, 2ms, 4ms, 8ms polling rate modes and a BIOS mode. It's easy to clean.

CONS

You'll need to download the Corsair Utility Engine software.

OUR VERDICT

Thanks to the built-in onboard memory, a single configuration of lighting and performance settings is enough to use this keyboard the whole time afterward.

Thanks to the revolutionary Lightspeed technology providing an incredibly fast response of 1 ms, this wireless keyboard has a speed that rivals the best wired ones on the market. Precise mechanical switches are able to survive up to 70M clicks.

CONS

There's no LED lighting.

OUR VERDICT

Another addition to the Logitech G family that once again puts most gaming keyboards to shame and sets a new standard for wireless gaming peripherals. A stern and minimalistic design makes this a great model even for those that aren't interested in the whole gaming aesthetic.

The Cherry MX makes this mechanical gaming keyboard much quieter than most rivals. The model boasts advanced customization - you can assign any key for a more comfortable gaming experience. Due to the additional USB port, you will be able to connect one more external device to it.

The Razer BlackWidow gaming keyboard allows you to set up a macro to any key, together with 5 dedicated macro keys. It also allows for 10-key rollover. Razer Synapse software serves to set up the backlighting. The Gaming Mode option offers even more precise gaming.

CONS

The matte housing of the keyboard is not fingerprint-resistant.

OUR VERDICT

This gaming keyboard is perfect for hardcore gamers. It features excellent durability of up to 80M keystrokes, a great benefit even compared to mech switches. The braided fiber cable adds up to the reliability of the keyboard.

A membrane keyboard that simulates the feeling of a mechanical one by using a combination of rubber domes and quasi-mechanical switches that give keys a tactile and audible feedback.

CONS

Lacks additional programmable keys.

OUR VERDICT

For less than 10 quids you are getting a gaming keyboard that has a stylish sci-fi-esque look and feels like a mechanical keyboard without the price tag of one. If you're just setting your sights on entering the world of hardcore video gaming, this is the best starting point on the market.

Corsair K70 Rapidfire

Design of the Keys

The Corsair Gaming K70 is a dedicated mechanical gaming keyboard. The switches are made with the advanced Cherry MX Red technology, which provides for rapid actuation and makes the keyboard perfect for gaming. This Corsair gaming keyboard helps you keep winning for a long time without fatigue. The switches in this gaming keyboard were designed to benefit you with 50 million keystrokes. Stay focused on the game!

Features

This gaming keyboard provides the unique macro programming capabilities. The keyboard gives you the possibility to set up any key so that it triggers a macro — an indispensable feature to enhance your gaming experience. Its 104 full-key rollover and extreme anti-ghosting capacities ensure that your gameplay is incredibly smooth and accurate. There are also easily accessible dedicated multimedia keys, allowing you to easily play, pause, stop and skip your videos or audio tracks or adjust the volume. And thanks to the built-in memory, you’ll only need to configure the settings of your K70 Corsair gaming keyboard once to use it anywhere. Set up the performance and backlighting and take your gaming on-the-go!

Backlight and Housing

The Corsair Gaming K70 is a fully customizable backlit gaming keyboard with 16.8 million RGB colours. This allows you to set up various colour schemes to suit your taste and create your own unique colour schemes for different games or key combinations. The housing of the gaming keyboard is made of anodised aircraft-grade aluminium which ensures light weight and high durability. This means that the gaming keyboard is resistant to accidental impacts and will serve you for a long time.

Additional Info

Logitech G613

A Trusted Companion

There are certain companies in the world that have managed to become name brands on such a scale that their titles have become synonymous with the entire product and are often even used as a verb rather than a noun. You know what we're talking about. You've definitely heard a plethora of people say "just google it" instead of "search for it on the internet". Plenty have used Xerox as a verb meaning to copy, scan or fax a piece of paper when actually it is simply a company that specializes in document solutions. You could not have missed somebody asking for a box of Kleenex or a bag of Pampers when in reality it was tissues and diapers from completely different companies. And while more often than not these kinds of companies have managed to build such a reputation at least partially due to the excellence of the product they provide, it isn't unheard of for a company to become this dominant simply due to their aggressive marketing campaigns with close to no quality to back up their claims.

Logitech is as close to a name brand as any gaming company specializing in computer peripherals has ever come. But they owe this kind of reputation not to some kind of excessive marketing campaign but to the consistently excellent quality of their products. When one is looking to purchase a gaming keyboard with top-notch quality of the product matching its exceptional features, that person would rightfully think of Logitech as his first choice. And if that person is you, currently being in the market for a new gaming peripheral, we wholeheartedly suggest you give the Logitech G613 Wireless Gaming Keyboard a try.

Fast as Lightning

Logitech G series has been synonymous with gaming keyboards featuring cutting-edge technologies and superb quality for about as long as the aforementioned collocation exists in the first place and the Logitech G613 Wireless Gaming Keyboard is not an exception to that rule. As the name of the product suggests, the keyboard in the question is wireless. But that shouldn't discourage any of the potential buyers thinking that the input lag is going to slow them down during the most important moments of their gaming life. This particular model features a Lightspeed technology that offers not just great performance and power efficiency but also the kind of responsiveness and speed that puts most wired keyboards to shame. A 1 ms report rate is going to ensure you aren't going to face defeat due to the ineffectiveness of your peripherals. Of course, when we're talking about a gaming keyboard from Logitech, we know that the mechanical switches in place are going to provide quite and precise performance. But Romer-G does not stop there and also offers incredible durability with up to 70 million click-life and a great feel to them. The switches have a short-throw actuation at 1.5 mm meaning they're 25% faster than your average mechanical switches.

Amplify Your Experience

Of course, the Logitech G613 Wireless Gaming Keyboard, just like any other G-series keyboard from the said company, features dedicated G-keys. The six of them are available to be programmed with custom macros and in-app commands. Thanks to the Multi-host technology, the keyboard can be connected to multiple devices at the same time and you are able to switch between them with one click of a button. The peripheral also boasts an incredible battery life with just two AA models being able to carry the weight for up to 18 months. The keyboard is a bit pricey, but it is well worth it if you're looking to amplify your gaming experience to the maximum.

Additional Info

Corsair Strafe

Silent Keys

Mechanical keyboards are designed for professional gamers as well as for people who value a soft touch and tactile feedback when typing. Let's take a look at the Corsair Strafe RGB! A huge advantage of this gaming keyboard is that it offers a near-silent clicking while Cherry MX Red key switches require less pressure. Gold-crosspoint contacts are protected from dust with special closures, extending the service life of the whole device. Another benefit is that its contoured and textured keycaps guarantee excellent grip and enhanced feel for every PC gamer. This is particularly important during long gaming sessions! We would like to stress that this gaming keyboard will also please music lovers since the backlight is able to adapt to any music. Just amazing!

Would you agree that the ideal gaming keyboard requires the ideal gaming mouse?

Additional Info

Razer RZ03-01760400-R3W1

Design of the Keys

The Razer BlackWidow Chroma Clicky is a mechanical gaming keyboard with a wonderful response. It allows for the most precise detection of the keystrokes. This gaming keyboard is designed to provide you with more than 80 million keystrokes, a much longer gaming experience than most conventional membrane gaming keyboards allow for. Take your skills to the next level with the world-renowned Razer gaming keyboard!

Features

The Razer BlackWidow gaming keyboard features fully programmable keys, allowing you to assign a macro to any key you prefer. It also has five additional keys for macro recording, located on the left side of the keyboard. This gaming keyboard benefits you with the opportunity to record and set up different key combinations for your favorite games — a valuable feature that facilitates and enhances the gaming. The “Gaming Mode” disables the Windows key and prevents you from accidentally pressing it during the game. This Razer gaming keyboard also features impressive anti-ghosting capability with a 10-key rollover. A USB pass-through port, audio output and microphone input ports are the icing on the cake.

Backlight and Housing

This Razer gaming keyboard is fully backlit with 16.8 million colour options. It can be customised for different games or set for certain keys. Razer Synapse, the first-ever cloud-based gaming setting network, serves to store all the settings. It allows you to save all the settings of Razer devices and download them from the cloud globally. So, you’ll be able to take the keyboard with you when you travel and enjoy your own gaming keyboard wherever you go.

Additional Info

Rii RK100

An Absolute Value

The computer game industry, also known as video game industry, is one of the most rapidly growing mediums of storytelling and sources of entertainment. And rightfully so, for video games a lot of fun and the vast array of genres and titles out there is enough to make everyone feel included and welcome in it. But, while the casual side of it features a fun and accessible way to diversify your pastime activities, the world of hardcore gaming can be a downright cruel and unforgiving place. Out there, it is all about the competition and if you're not up to par, the experience of crushing defeat can feel utterly depressing at times. And it's one thing if that loss was a fault of your own, but losing due to incompetent gear is something that you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy. Which is why a lot of video gaming aficionados prefer to stick to gaming peripherals that were specifically designed with the idea of gaming in mind. The problem is, the majority of these devices tend to generally cost a small fortune and not everybody is willing to pay for it or is capable to afford one. This is where our next feature comes in. The Rii RK100 is a keyboard designed specifically with gaming in mind that comes at a ridiculously cheap price of £9.99 and offers virtually everything you would want from a gaming keyboard with that kind of budget.

A Mechanical Feeling

The Rii RK100 is a half-mechanical gaming keyboard (sometimes referred to as a mechanical feeling keyboard). A half-mechanical keyboard, without boring you with unnecessary details, is basically a membrane keyboard that uses a combination of rubber domes and quasi-mechanical switches which gives keys a tactile and audible feedback to induce the feeling of genuine mechanical switches. Obviously, what you get in return doesn't necessarily provide the same qualities that actual mechanical switches are going to offer, but given how overpriced some of the mechanical gaming keyboards are, this is as good of a solution as any for the kind of money the half-mechanical keyboards are sold for. Aside from that, what the device offers is a standard set of 104 keys with 11 keys specifically designed for multimedia purposes. The keyboard is lit with three Light-Emitting Diode colours that give the device that incredible sci-fi inspired look that the majority of gamers long for.

It's Time to Get Your Game On

The keyboard boasts 17.1 inches of length, 5.3 inches in height and is 0.9 inches thick (43 x 13 x 2 centimeters) making it a great choice for anyone that isn't stuck in a cramped up space and is looking for a keyboard with enough space to comfortably stretch your hands on. The model works perfectly with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8 and shouldn't have any troubles with the majority of Apple and Android devices. The Rii RK100 does not offer any additional programmable keys but for less than 10 quids you would be hard-pressed to find a keyboard that fits your gaming needs better than this one.

Additional Info

What Is a Gaming Keyboard?

Gaming keyboards are specifically designed to provide an exciting computer gaming experience. A good gaming keyboard will do the job for you, whether you are all into hardcore gaming, or simply like spending an hour or two at your computer playing games.

To unleash your full gaming potential, a gaming keyboard must combine perfect ergonomics and maximum performance. Such keyboards provide better feel, faster response time and more key actions than conventional keypads, allowing using a keyboard comfortably for long hours. Gaming keyboards stand out from the others by their design that combines an eye-catching look, extra dedicated switches and other gamer-friendly features. The switches, such as macros or multimedia keys, are usually grouped into separate blocks on the keyboard. Another attractive perk of gaming keyboards is a backlighting, often customizable with various colours and effects. A backlit gaming keyboard has a flashy look and sets off the keys — playing or typing in the dark is not an issue. Even if you're not in need for all the bells and whistles of a pro gaming keyboard, you will enjoy the convenience it adds to your everyday business and leisure.

We also recommend you to see our best gaming mouse review. A decent mouse, paired with the right gaming keyboard, will make your gaming process even more comfortable and enthralling.

What Features to Compare

The Design of the Keys is the first thing we recommend checking. Among the variety of switch types, there are two most popular types of gaming keyboards:

Mechanical gaming keyboards considered to be the best for gamers. Mechanical gaming keyboards feature individual switches under each key, with key actions triggered by sufficient typing force. Most mechanical gaming keyboards benefit you with more than 50 million keystrokes. Mechanical keyboards are also perfect for typing as they feature a very good keystroke response.

Membrane gaming keyboards have a softer feel and quieter key actions than mechanical switches. They will serve you for up to 10 million keystrokes, featuring a considerably lower price. If you’re a non-hardcore gamer, a decent membrane keyboard can be sufficient for you.

Extra Features should also be considered when choosing a gaming keyboard. The best gaming keyboards feature additional keys which you’ll never see on a conventional keyboard, such as macros keys. Using macros keys with the appropriate software allows you to set up and customise a variety of keyboard shortcuts, making your gaming process more pleasant and simple. The keyboard can also have audio output and microphone input ports, as well as USB ports which make it easy to connect your headphones, mic, or gaming mouse directly to the keyboard. A gaming keyboard might also have buttons for multimedia control, allowing you to switch tracks, pause or resume the playback when you’re listening to music or watching videos — a convenient option every fan of multimedia will definitely enjoy. Gaming keyboards are mainly connected to a gaming station via USB interfaces since a good response is essential for good gaming experience. Some gaming keyboards may also provide wireless Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to use the keyboard remotely and enjoy gaming from the comfort of your couch.

You might also want to pay attention to the Backlight and Housing design of your chosen gaming keyboard. Gaming keyboards may feature numerous options for backlighting. Depending on what gaming keyboard you choose, you can fully customise the backlighting colour, backlight separate zones or the keys you use most often. You can even create your own visual effects, such as light waves or pulsation. Match the backlighting with your gaming style, set up different backlight options for different games or simply switch it off. As regards the housing design of gaming keyboards, they are generally made of durable plastic to reduce weight and facilitate transportation. Every pro gamer can benefit by using gaming keyboards of their own — they are more familiar to use and, with all the settings saved, require no extra tuning.